Susan Ito & Devon Halliday

The Anna Jinja Show

We are thrilled to sit down with the incredibly talented Susan Ito, a literary powerhouse with a lifelong passion for storytelling. Susan's journey began with the magic of reading at just three years old and evolved into crafting captivating narratives by the age of six, leaving a lasting impact on the literary world.

Susan is an accomplished writer and the co-editor of the literary anthology "A Ghost At Heart’s Edge: Stories & Poems of Adoption." Her works have been featured in esteemed publications such as The Writer, Growing Up Asian American, Choice, Hip Mama, Literary Mama, Catapult, Hyphen, The Bellevue Literary Review, and many more.

In this episode, we delve into Susan's rich literary journey and explore the profound impact of her work in the realm of adoption and foster care stories. She shares insights from her memoir “I Would Meet You Anywhere,” discussing the importance of embracing her right to know and tell her own story.

Devon Halliday was invited to provide the creative response to Susan’s story. Devon is the daughter of two poetry professors, who grew up in Athens, OH, and studied Comparative Literature at Brown University. After several years in the New York publishing scene, Devon returned to Athens with her husband. Together, they became co-owners of a small local bakery while Devon pursues a fiction MFA at Warren Wilson and her passion for songwriting. Tune in to hear the amazing song that Devon wrote and performed for Susan!

Don't miss this heartfelt and enlightening episode as we celebrate the power of storytelling and the connections that shape our lives.
Devon's Song
I’d Meet You Anywhere – Devon Halliday

Maybe I remind you of a dark time
Maybe you don’t like my forehead creased in your same lines
Maybe it’s water under the bridge
That I can’t help swimming in
Do I haunt you with my patience
Like a jump scare when I meet you at the station
Maybe I’m crying over the same spilled milk that you wiped away
But I’d meet you anywhere
Lips tripping over last time’s excuse
You know I’d meet you anywhere
I’ll keep on collecting the scraps of your truth
Because I’d meet you anywhere
Gone like a ghost, but I’d still meet you anywhere
I lost years in speculation
Triangulating your laugh from my laugh and your face from the faces of strangers
And you’re not what I thought
You’re better, you’re worse, and you’re all that I want
And I’d meet you anywhere
Lips tripping over last time’s excuse
You know I’d meet you anywhere
I’ll keep on collecting the scraps of your truth
Because I’d meet you anywhere
Gone like a ghost, but I’d still meet you anywhere
(I’d meet you anywhere)
If I’m only a secret at least I’ll be kept
(I’d meet you anywhere)
It’s all right if you leave me, you already left
(I’d meet you anywhere)
You can say you don’t need me but here you are again
(You’d meet me anywhere)
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